National Novel Writing Month

Ever since high school, I’ve been fascinated with this project. I’ve always been fairly awful at writing and the thought of committing so substantial for one month seemed so daunting, especially with midterms around the corner.

I won’t be writing any full-length novel anytime soon, but in the spirit of NaNoWriMo, I’m embarking on a slightly more modern variation of this project: writing a blog post a day for the month of November. Since graduating from college this May, blogging has become the main way I’ve been able to revisit everything I loved about academics – the critical thinking, the free-form dialogue, and the continuous drafting and editing of a written document. Updating this blog has motivated me to not only stay current with tech news, but to digest all the articles instead of just regurgitating them to my friends and colleagues.

Lately, I’ve also been keen on the idea of self-discipline and willpower as a muscle; the more I use it, the stronger it’ll become. And while I am always willing to try new things, it’s easier to pick something up once than to do to it on the regular (see: running, playing an instrument, making home-cooked meals). So, I’m treating this year’s NaNoWriMo as an exercise in written expression, as well as an opportunity for self-improvement.

What will you be doing for NaNoWriMo? Or alternatively, how will you choose to improve yourself over the course of 30 days?